§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 8 March,Official Report, column 322, if he can now list for the year 1989–90 for England and for each NHS region (1) the percentage of women who had (i) general anaesthesia, (ii) epidural or caudal anaesthesia, (iii) spinal anaesthesia, (iv) combinations of these methods of anaesthesia and (v) none of these methods of anaesthesia during labour or delivery;
(2) the percentage of women (i) whose labours were surgically induced, (ii) whose labours were induced[by oxytocic drugs, (iii) whose labours were induced by a combination of surgical methods and oxytocic drugs, (iv) whose labours were of spontaneous onset and (v) who had elective Caesarian sections;
(3) the percentage of women whose deliveries were (i) at a domestic address, (ii) in a consultant ward of an NHS hospital, (iii) in a general practitioner ward of an NHS hospital, (iv) in a combined consultant/general practitioner ward of an NHS hospital, (v) in a private hospital, (vi) in another hospital or institution and (vii) elsewhere;
(4) the percentage of women whose deliveries were conducted by (a) a hospital doctor, (b) a general practitioner, (c) a midwife and (d) a person other than a doctor or midwife.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe estimated national percentages for England for 1989–90 are given in the tables. The feasibility of producing estimated percentages analysed by NHS region is still being investigated and I shall write to the hon. Member when our investigations are complete.
1989–90 England Per cent. (i) Anaesthetic administered General 7 Epidural or caudal 15 Spinal 1 Combination 1 Other including no anaesthetic 66 Not known 11 (ii) Method of onset of labour Spontaneous onset 74 Elective Caesarean 5 Surgically induced 4 Oxytocic drugs 8 Combination 6 Not known 3 (iii) Place of delivery At a domestic address 10 In a consultant ward 64 In a GP ward 5 Consultant/GP ward 31 Private hospital 10 Other hospital or institution 10 Elsewhere 10 (iv) Person conducting delivery Hospital doctor 24 General practitioner 10 Midwife 72 Other 2 Not known 2 1 Less than 0.5 per cent. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics 1989–90.